After years of speculation about the possibility of Lionel Messi coming to the MLS, a deal appears to be in the cards.
The all-time soccer great recently finished up his time at Paris Saint-Germain, the second professional club of his career following his legendary period at Barcelona. Now, according to reports, he'll be coming to Major League Soccer and signing with Inter Miami.
Prior reports indicated that Messi was between Inter Miami and joining the Saudi Arabian league, where Cristiano Ronaldo and other prominent players are playing or have signed, but a lucrative and unique contract offer from Inter Miami and the MLS has evidently won him over.
According to Guillem Balague, a Spanish journalist with close ties to Messi's camp, the decision has already been made.
Messi has decided. His destination: Inter Miami
Leo Messi se va al Inter Miami
— Guillem Balague (@GuillemBalague) June 7, 2023
Other reporters, such as Abdellah Boulma in Paris, have corroborated the news, but Balague's report is the strongest.
Beyond financial compensation, Messi is said to be getting access to a share of Apple+ profits from new subscribers in addition to a percentage of Adidas profits and ease of access to MLS ownership when his playing days are over.
The latter incentive is what helped David Beckham acquire Messi's reported new club, Inter Miami. Beckham played in the MLS for the Los Angeles Galaxy, and he became one of Inter Miami's owners after retiring. His stake in the club has reportedly increased 10x in value already.
If Messi ultimately confirms the move, it'll be one of the biggest — if not the biggest — moments in American soccer history.
